I hope you are not as underwhelmed with cashmere as I was. Granted, I din't get the primo stuff, but still.

May I ask what your budget is? PM me if you don't want it out in public.

Well, I already have decent cashmere, and can imagine how it could be better based on my experience and what others describe. Mainly, I want smething that is soft and smooth, but avoids pilling and stretching.

I'd like to stay under $300 a sweater.

Quote:

Originally Posted by forex

Where do you plan to source the cashmere sweaters from? Have you identified the sources yet?

I'm calling up stores and makers in the UK. Lockie and Johnstons look promising.

Well, I already have decent cashmere, and can imagine how it could be better based on my experience and what others describe. Mainly, I want smething that is soft and smooth, but avoids pilling and stretching.

I'd like to stay under $300 a sweater.

You have to look very hard ... preferably NOS. I'll wait and watch what you get.But for now, I am totally off cashmere.

I have no direct experience with either brand. However, I have heard from multiple sources that W. Lockie is very good. From pictures I have seen, they have gorgeous, vibrant colors. 'Poppy' or somesuch is a superb shade of red. Look around and see if you can find good pics ...

Well, I already have decent cashmere, and can imagine how it could be better based on my experience and what others describe. Mainly, I want smething that is soft and smooth, but avoids pilling and stretching.

I'd like to stay under $300 a sweater.

I'm calling up stores and makers in the UK. Lockie and Johnstons look promising.

I imagine $300 a sweater will be tough,given your specs.
Can anyone comment on BBBF cashmere sweaters? Is there pilling? How is it compared to regular non BF cashmere sweaters?

RJman and I have recent experience with Johnston's, and it's not good. In fact they and Ballantyne are the two Scottish companies I've been most disappointed with recently. The sweaters I've seen have been much thinner, cheaper looking and knit with a slightly higher gauge (smaller knit) than traditional Scottish cashmere.

To be fair I haven't had any shedding problems with these Johnston's or Ballantynes. I don't whether RJ has.

RJman and I have recent experience with Johnston's, and it's not good. In fact they and Ballantyne are the two Scottish companies I've been most disappointed with recently. The sweaters I've seen have been much thinner, cheaper looking and knit with a slightly higher gauge (smaller knit) than traditional Scottish cashmere.

To be fair I haven't had any shedding problems with these Johnston's or Ballantynes. I don't whether RJ has.

Good to know. I'm not sure what to make of Johnstons. That they are vertically integrated sounds appealing, but the ultimate product is what counts and I can imagine how other yarn producers in Scotland might be better, even though not integrated with knitters. Nobody here seems to have a particularly high opinion of Johnstons' actual sweaters.

From my casual research, it appears that American retailers tend to favor Johnstons quite regularly while UK-based retailers tend to prefer others (Lockie has come up a lot).

I have a dark purple V-neck cashmere from Martin & Osa that's the tits. IMO purple is a very underrated color, and very flattering, kinda like black but more interesting. I don't know why everyone loves pure cashmere though, I prefer blends. Dark red isa also a good choice. As long as you don't buy some lame pastels of yellow, blue or green it'll look cool.

From my casual research, it appears that American retailers tend to favor Johnstons quite regularly while UK-based retailers tend to prefer others (Lockie has come up a lot).

I keep hoping that somewhere, in one of these too-numerous and too-similar discussions, someone who knows what traditional Scottish cashmere is supposed to look like and has recent buying experience with labeled products from Lockie, Murray Allen (if they're still around), N. Peal, even old standards like Pringle etc will chime in and let us know. Until then, all we have to work on are conflicting marketing claims (e.g. Johnston's is claiming they're the only Scottish company who's still processing from raw fiber, which apparently isn't true) and companies telling us half the story about what yarns they're using.

I keep hoping that somewhere, in one of these too-numerous and too-similar discussions, someone who knows what traditional Scottish cashmere is supposed to look like and has recent buying experience with labeled products from Lockie, Murray Allen (if they're still around), N. Peal, even old standards like Pringle etc will chime in and let us know. Until then, all we have to work on are conflicting marketing claims (e.g. Johnston's is claiming they're the only Scottish company who's still processing from raw fiber, which apparently isn't true) and companies telling us half the story about what yarns they're using.

Well, RJman has experience with the older Scottish stuff and favors some current makes over others. I spoke to people at Lockie on the phone: while they do not claim to process raw fiber, they claim that all of their cashmere is processed in Scotland. True? I don't know, but at least it doesn't sound like a whale of a lie.